


SNKstuck

by eldritchHatter



Category: Homestuck, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Humanstuck, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-18
Updated: 2013-08-05
Packaged: 2017-12-20 13:51:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/888010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eldritchHatter/pseuds/eldritchHatter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over a hundred years ago, Humanity was pushed to the brink of extinction by an enigmatic race called Titans. To defend against them, humanity constructed three walls, in which they lived in peace. However, in the year 845 the outermost wall, Wall Derse, was breached by the sudden appearance of a Colossal Titan.</p><p>After watching his father die in the resulting chaos, Karkat Vantas vows vengeance against all Titans. Joined by his adopted sister Jade, and their best friend John, Karkat Joins the military Scouting Legion, and together they wage their counterattack on the Titans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'll start with the basics. Homestuck belongs to Andrew Hussie, Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan belongs to Hajime Isayama. I take no credit for anything - Except the "author of this work" part. I take credit for that.
> 
> Also...
> 
> WARNING: Vague but still fairly obvious spoilers appear in later chapters, so if you haven't read the manga I WOULD NOT advise reading any further than the current point in the anime timeline.

 

**Prologue:**

**Attack on Titan.**

  
  
  


It began one hundred and seven years ago.

All of Humanity, with the exception of a few, was devoured to the point of extinction by the Titans, a race of giant creatures with unnatural strength and vitality, who seemed to have appeared from nowhere. Their only goal was to eat humans, and they pushed us back to the point where we had nowhere left to run. To defend ourselves against the Titan threat we managed to erect three 50-metre walls, Wall Derse, Wall Prospit, and Wall Skaia. And there we lived in peace.

But in the year 845, on _that_ day, humanity received a grim reminder that we lived in fear of the Titans, and were disgraced to live in these cages we call walls...


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go! The first chapter of SNKstuck.
> 
> I would like to apologize for the wait. Admittedly I finished this chapter over a week ago and its just taken me and my editor this long to go through it.  
> Speaking of, I would like to give a lot of credit to my editor. Before he took a whack at it it hadn't even been close to as good as it is now.
> 
> Enjoy!

 

 

**Fall of Lopah - Part 1:**

**To You, in 2000 Years.**

 

**845**

 

_...He couldn’t see her face._

_Her coal-black hair had been tied back into a ponytail, and her bangs were trimmed and parted to the side, but he still couldn’t see her face. Yet he knew who she was and he knew she was smiling at him, and he knew it was a faint, sad smile. He knew the bright red scarf he had given her still hung around her shoulders, as it always had. But he didn’t know what her eyes looked like. Not right now, anyway. He wondered what her eyes, the colour of her name, expressed in this moment. If only he could see her face._

_She spoke to him. He could hear her words clearly, though he wished he hadn’t. They were sad words, filled with remorse and worry, and it worried him. Why did she say that? he thought, what did she mean by, “See you later, Karkat.”_

“Karkat.”

“KARKAT! Wake up!”

Karkat Vantas jolted awake, his dreaming shattered. A pair of hands were gripping his shoulders and shaking him out of his sleep. He blinked a few times and examined his surroundings. He was lying against a tree that stood atop a hill near the gates of Wall Derse. It was a tall hill, on which only the one tree stood, the ground covered in grass that was tall enough to reach his ankles when he stood. Beside him, a pack of firewood lay on its side in the grass.

The hands gripping his shoulders belonged to Jade Harley, his adopted sister. Her coal-black hair was messy and cascaded down her back. Her eyes, the same shade of green she was named for, were still visible even under her round-lensed glasses. Her expression was a stoic one, bordering on emotionless. Her scarf covered her chin and almost covered her mouth. “Let’s get back home, now,” she said, taking his hands in hers and helping him to his feet, “It’ll be dark soon.”

A confused “huh” was all Karkat could manage. There was still a bit of sleep left in his eyes; how long _had_ he been asleep? He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, then blinked again. There was something different about Jade today, what was it? Nothing seemed out of the ordinary... no, wait. “Jade? Did you start letting your hair down again?”

She stared at him for a moment, puzzled by the question. “What do you mean again?” She asked. “I’ve always let my hair down.” She adjusted the pack of firewood on her back and turned away from him started down the hill in the direction of the wall gate. “You must have slept like a log if you woke up spouting that kind of nonsense.” He was unsure if that was an observation or an insult.

“No. Well...” he began, trying to think of how to phrase his sentence as he picked up his pack and began to follow her, “I had this really long dream, but I can’t remember what it was about.” He felt something cool and wet running down his cheeks. Water? Was it about to rain?

Jade turned back to him and had her mouth open to say something, but it was lost as her expression changed to one of worry. “Karkat? What’s wrong?” She took a step toward him as she spoke. “Why are you crying?”

What? He brought a hand up to his face and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He really was crying, but... why?

“I don’t know.”

 

*            *            *

 

In this world, wall building and maintaining are endeavors of the utmost importance. Just building a city inside the walls leaves you with little to no available countermeasures should the Titans break in. Because, simply put, the walls are _long_. So long that there’s no telling where they’ll strike. The military just didn’t have the manpower and resources to guard the wall in its entirety.

Therefore an alternative was adopted; simply to reduce the target to a manageable size. This kept the cost of defending the walls in check while concentrating the military forces to areas they could defend. However, if there are no people within these cities to act as “bait” for the Titans then it doesn’t work. And though the soldiers stationed in these cities warrant a positive economic impact, when you weigh economic advantages with the risk of being eaten alive by Titans it doesn’t exactly sound all that attractive to the potential dwellers. So to boost the moral of the citizens - and the chance people will want to live there - the government had taken to naming the soldiers that guarded the city walls humanity’s “bravest warriors”.

Karkat and Jade approached the gate of one of these offshot cities; Lopah, the southern city of Wall Derse and the city that Karkat and Jade called home. The town market outside of the city was bustling with people and activity. Sounds of conversation and bartering echoed through the air, mixed with the smell of fresh produce and baked goods. It was a sunny day and it would have been fairly warm out had it not been for the light breeze that cooled the air. Dusk was approaching and the sun would soon disappear behind the wall in Lopah, casting a shadow over the western side of the city. But until the sun had set, it would be a cool shade. Overall, it was a nice day to be outside.

“Not a word to _anyone_ ,” Karkat said as he rubbed his eyes for the umpteenth time since he awoke. Realizing the volume of his voice after a few stares from passers by, he brought it down to a whispered and continued, “They don’t need to know I’ve been crying.”

“I’ll do my best, but I make no promises,” Jade answered, her neutral expression never changing.

“Why the fuck not?” Karkat barked at her, gritting his teeth in anger and his voice raising once again.

Jade’s head turned sharply toward him. “Language!” She barked back at him. She turned turned away from his stare. “Because who knows what could happen!” Her voice was calmer this time. “I might let it slip by accident.”

Her answer seemed only to make Karkat angrier. “That isn’t a good answer!”

“Too bad. Deal with it,” Jade replied sternly.

The two were quiet for a moment as they continued down the street, until Jade finally said, “Still, you were crying. And you don’t know why,” she paused, “maybe you should talk to your dad about it?”

Karkat gave her a look as though she had nominated a Titan to be the King. “Are you crazy? Like hell I would I’d tell him about that!”

“Language!”

“‘Hell’ isn’t a swear!”

“That depends on who you’re talking to.”

Karkat’s only response was a series of incoherent, angry grumbles that contained various swears. After finally quelling his anger, around the time they were just passing under the inner gate, Karkat lowered his voice again and whispered in as calm a tone as was possible for the grouchy child, “Just please, _try_ not to tell anyone I was crying.”

“Huh? What’ve you been crying about, Karkat?” A voice cut into their conversation, coming from one of the soldiers guarding the wall.

Rufioh was the soldier’s name, a member of the Stationary Guard - the largest of the three military divisions - and friend of the Vantas family for years. He had known Karkat and his father for as long as the boy could remember, and though he was generally a very laid-back person he had always been willing to jump into action if requested. Karkat always wondered if that’s what made Rufioh a good soldier. The man stood up from where he was sitting and walked toward the two children.

“See,” Jade whispered, “told you it could slip.” Karkat groaned.

"Did Jade get mad at you for swearing too much or something?" Rufioh asked, putting a reassuring arm around Karkat’s shoulders.

The boy almost immediately pushed the arm off of him. “Huh? What? What would I be crying for?” He stammered, trying to wipe away the sweat running down his forehead - as well as being generally grumpy and irritable and short, Karkat was also known for being a god-awful liar. “I mean... I don’t remember crying- UGH!” He took a step away from Rufioh and covered his nose, a look of disgust twisting his features. “You reek of booze! Are you _drinking on the job?_ ”

“Yep.” Rufioh replied, grinning and sounding a more proud of himself than he should have been. He gestured behind him, toward three other soldiers who were sitting on boxes in front of a makeshift table, half-empty bottles of liquor in their hands. “Say...” Rufioh added, grabbing a bottle for himself, “why don’t the two of you join us?”

Karkat and Jade were both equally awestruck at the proposition. “Are you kidding?” Karkat shouted, “ _fuck_ no!”

“Language!” Jade barked at Karkat.

“Whoa there, man! I’m just pulling your leg! Figurative, of course... I know you guy are too young to drink!” Rufioh assured them, raising his arms defensively. Neither of the children found it funny. However, the soldiers seemed to think it was hilarious if their laughter was anything to go by. Of course, it probably wasn’t; maybe it was just the alcohol.

“What about work then?” Karkat asked, crossing his arms in a defiant manner. “Aren’t you guys on duty today?”

“Yeah, we man the gates today,” Rufioh confirmed, “but see,” he continued, “we’re supposed to be here all day, so it doesn’t take long for us to get hungry...” He raised the bottle in his hand, “...and thirsty.” He put the bottle on the table and took a seat on a box next to the other soldiers. “Alcohol just happens to be one of the drinks we’re given... sometime. But that’s nothing to write home about.”

“And then what?” Karkat snapped, clenching his teeth. “When the situation calls for it, how, exactly, are you supposed to fight?”

The soldiers, Rufioh included, looked somewhat bewildered by the question. Rufioh turned to the others, who shrugged or shook their heads. All the soldiers could come up with was a long, unanimous and dull, “uh.”

“Hello! We’re dying of old age here!” Karkat said, impatient.

“Don’t be rude, Karkat!” Jade told him, crossing her arms. “But actually, I’m a bit curious, myself. How do you expect to fight while drunk?”

“No. No, it’s just that, well... we don’t know what you’re talking about...” Rufioh said, scratching at the back of his head. “Fight what? What situation?”

Karkat looked as though he was about to explode with rage. He uncrossed his arms, clenched fists and took a sharp step forward, which caused the soldiers to flinch. “Are you serious?” He shouted at them. “Do I actually have to _explain_ this to you shit heads?” He glanced quickly at Jade, who apparently was either too surprised by Rufioh’s answer or just didn’t care enough at the moment to berate him. Karkat looked Rufioh, who was now covering his ears, directly in the eyes. “I’m talking about when the Titans break through the wall and enter the city!”

“Jeez!” Rufioh exclaimed, putting more pressure on his ears, “Karkat, don’t shout like that... My head’s hurting...”

“Good to be wholesome, eh, kiddo?” Said one of the other soldiers, “If the Titans do break through the wall, then we’ll deal with it.” He took another sip of his drink. “But of course, that hasn’t happened once in a hundred years.”

“WHAT? How can you just let your guard down like that? Don’t tell me  _I’m_ the only genre-savvy person here?” Karkat said, “my dad told me that’s it’s dangerous to be as stupid as you guys are!”

“Karkat! Quit being rude!” Jade snapped.

Rufioh looked a little hurt. “I’ll be frank with you, Karkat... you’re probably right about that,” He stood up and placed his fists on his hips. “I don’t claim to know any better than your old man, as awesome a guy as Crabdad is and all, ” “Crabdad” was a nickname Rufioh had given Mr. Vantas, a compound of his rather “crabby” nature and his role as a parent. He turned his head up toward the top of the wall. “But... the wall is, like... 50 metres high, and at least six metres thick. I really don’t see how any Titan’ll work its way through or even around that.” He turned back to Karkat, who didn’t look satisfied with his answer by any means.

“So what you’re saying is that you’re not even ready to fight them in the first place? Well, that’s some shitty reassurance if I’ve ever heard it.”

“ _Karkat!_ ” Jade barked at him yet again, louder this time, apparently no longer surprised or uncaring, “ _lan-_ ”

“I know, I know! Language!”

“To be honest with you guys? No, can’t say we are,” Rufioh replied.

Karkat was dumbstruck by this. “What the f-” He caught himself, “then quit calling yourselves Stationary Guards! Wall-Builders would be more accurate, I think!”

“Yep,” Rufioh replied, smiling at the boy. “You see, Karkat, an army’s not really that great a thing. It tells the people things have gone south; makes them uneasy, you know? Whereas so long as we act like useless freeloaders, people’ll think that there’s nothing to worry about, then life’s pretty chill for everybody.”

“What Rufioh said!” Called out the soldier from before.

“Heh, yeah,” said a second soldier. “Damn, I jus’ don’t get those guys from the Scoutin’ Legion; goin’ outside the walls an’ that jazz... crazy bastards.”

“Yeah, It’s like they get a kick outta’ playing warfare or something,” said a third.

The conversation between the three soldiers made something in Karkat’s head _click_. It was a loud, reverberating _click_ that echoed through his head. Akin to the realization of something important, something defining. Something that couldn’t be ignored by simply thinking of something else or being talked out of it. And it was most likely this _click_ that influenced Karkat’s next decision.

“I thought the point of the Scouting Legion was to research the Titans and reclaim territory for Humanity?” Karkat asked, genuinely confused.

Rufioh nodded, his smile disappearing. “Well, yeah,” he said, “But I don’t think they’re gonna’ be doing that anytime soon. I mean... have you _seen_ a Titan? They’re big as trees, Karkat... and they’re _everywhere_.” He crouched down so he was eye level with Karkat. “But look at it this way: we got food and water and roofs over our heads and comfortable beds to sleep in!”

“Yeah, and that’s good enough to stay alive,” Karkat stated, interrupting Rufioh, “but isn’t living like that, while trapped inside the walls, no different than being cattle?”

Rufioh was at a loss for words, he really wasn’t sure how to respond. He stood up again and rubbed his chin while trying to think of an answer that would satisfy the boy. “...Huh. Damn,” he said after a moment, “I never thought about it like that...”

“I’d be shocked and amazed if you had,” Karkat said, turning away from Rufioh. “See you later.” With that, he started walking away.

Jade was close behind him, stopping only to say goodbye to the soldier. Rufioh returned the goodbye and waved as they left. He stopped when he heard the other soldiers snickering. “What’s so funny?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. When the first soldier gestured to the children, Rufioh looked slightly offended. “What? Karkat? Look, the kid had a point, guys.”

“The kid is weird, Rufioh.” the third soldier said, “how old is he, again? Ten? Eleven?”

“I reckon by the way he sounded, he’d do great n’ the Scoutin’ Legion,” said the second soldier.

The thought of Karkat, the little boy he’d know for years, entering the military, let alone the Scouting Legion, sent a shiver down Rufioh’s spine. “You guys don’t really think he’d do that... do you?” He asked, worried for the boy’s safety.

“A kid as crazy as that?” Replied the first soldier, taking a swig of alcohol, “ _I_ wouldn’t be surprised!”

 

*            *            *

 

The streets of Lopah were not as busy as the market outside the city, as most of it was residential area. The scent of fresh food wasn’t present either, instead replaced by the smell of the flowers in the window sills, the grass on the boulevards and, just faintly, the dust that had been kicked up into the air from the cobblestone streets. By now the sun had begun to fall over the wall of Lopah.

Jade, however, didn’t care about the shade or the smell of flowers and grass and dust. She was far more concerned with the well being of her brother. She knew what he was thinking; she usually did. Though mostly it was just how he’d react to various circumstances, and mostly it was just him shouting swears at people. But this was more important, this concerned his _life_ , his future. And she wasn’t about to let him throw that away without a fight.

“Karkat, stop it,” she said to him. It wasn’t a request or even a statement, it was order; firm and strong.

And It caught the boy off guard. “Stop what?” He asked, glancing at his sister.

“Thinking what I _know_ you’re thinking,” she replied, avoiding the glance.

“You don’t know what I’m thinking!” He retorted, narrowing his eyes at her.

“Yes, I do,” she countered.

“Do not!” He snapped.

“Do to!” She barked.

Karkat stopped and turned to face Jade. “Okay then,” he said, crossing his arms, “tell me, O wise and perceptive psychic, what I am thinking, exactly.”

“You’re thinking about joining the Scouting Legion,” Jade said grievously.

The Scouting Legion was the smallest of the three military divisions, though that was significantly due to the frighteningly high mortality rates; joining the division was considered by many to be a form of suicide. Only the truly fearless or stupid were said to even think about joining it and Jade knew quite well that despite Karkat’s argumentative and hostile, he really was neither of these.

Judging by his expression, she had gotten it right. He quickly turned away from her and started walking again. “So what if I am?” He asked in a rather accusatory tone. “Why should you care?”

“I’m w-”

“Don’t tell me you think they’re crazy and stupid too?” He interrupted.

“NO! I’m just- ARG!” She grabbed her head and let out a growl through gritted teeth. “Oh my God, why do you have to turn _everything_ into an argument? I only-”

**_CLANG, CLONG. CLANG, CLONG._ **

The sound of the town bell echoed loudly throughout the city, turning everyone’s attention toward to the outer gates of Wall Derse. The bell was used for a number of situations; to announce the time every hour from dawn til’ dusk, the beginning of festivals or celebrations or other citywide events, and emergency situations. It also declared when Scouting Legion troops returned from their campaigns outside the wall, such as now.

Karkat’s grizzly attitude fell away as he heard the sound, a bright smile appearing seemingly from nowhere. “The Scouting Legion’s back!” He exclaimed, forgetting completely about what Jade had been saying to him. He broke a run toward the outer gates, stopping only to call back to his sister: “Come on, Jade! Let’s go see them!”

“Karkat! Wait!” She called to him, but he was already too far ahead to hear her. And even if he hadn’t been, he most likely would have ignored her in favor of watching his personal heroes return home. So she ran after him, darting and dodging past people as she chased her brother down the streets.

She eventually caught up to him while he was blocked by a crowd that was too large to push through. “Damn it!” The boy shouted angrily while hopping up and down trying to see what was going on, “why are there so many people? I can’t see a thing!” He surveyed the area for something, anything, to climb onto. When he finally noticed a stack of crates behind the crowd he immediately jumped on, quickly followed by Jade, and was happy to find he could see the returning soldiers high above the crowd. Only to have that happiness vanish almost as quickly as it had arrived upon beholding the sight before him.

Karkat had expected to see the Scouting Legion troops riding tall and victorious upon their horses, looks of triumph upon their faces as they rode down the main thoroughfare. But the only expressions that he saw were ones of pain and defeat. Most of the troops hung their heads, refusing to meet the eyes of the silent onlookers. One soldier did look up, glancing at the two children. His eyes widened - in recognition, in realization, in knowing, in terror - and he quickly turned away.

Jade had noticed a bit further down the line there were horses leading carts, on one of which lied the injured and broken bodies of other soldiers - bodies whose limbs were either wrapped in dirty, bloodied bandages or missing altogether. The cart behind that had one with a large tarp covering what it carried, the horses ridden by soldiers who wore particularly despair-filled expressions. At first the girl thought the cart might be carrying the remaining food or supplies, but that thought just as quickly vanished when she saw the that cart was immediately followed the covered one. Jade shuddered at the thought of what might be beneath that ominous tarp.

Jade turned her gaze from the soldiers to Karkat, whose expression was exactly what she had expected; confusion, distress, very slight anger; his eyes wide, his mouth slightly open. She felt bad for him, but at the same time felt somewhat relieved. Maybe this would change his mind?

Upon turning he attention to the sorrowful onlookers, Jade’s attention was directed to what the people were saying about the returning soldiers.. "There's so few of them..." said one. "It's been a bad run this time, too," another asked, no, stated. "Weren't there over a hundred of them when they left...? There aren't even twenty now..." said the first one. "Did everyone else get eaten?" Asked a third.

Jade’s eavesdropping was interrupted by the sound of a woman calling out - what was she saying? Brown? A colour? No, a name. Jade gulped hard as she realised the woman was probably looking for a friend or family member.

The woman ran in front of the soldier leading the platoon - probably the captain, Jade guessed - stopping their forward progress. “E-excuse me... my son... I can’t find my son, Brown,” the woman said, the edge of her voice on the verge of panic. "Wh-what happened to him? Where is he?"

The captain, looking rather distraught, opened his mouth to speak. But no words came out. Instead he turned to a soldier behind him and said simply, “It’s Brown’s mother. Bring it here.” The soldier nodded and ran hastily back to the covered cart. He lifted the tarp just enough the fit his head and arm underneath to fish out what he was looking for. He eventually brought out an oblong object wrapped in dirty cloth that looked as though it might have been white or some other light colour at some point. The soldier looked like he was about to be sick. He brought the wrapped object to the captain who cautiously held it out to the now grieving. She looked confused, scared, resigned to knowing what she would find wrapped in the dirty cloth. Her breathing was deep and ragged as she held back tears, slowly unwrapping the object. When the object was revealed she gasped, no, she inhaled sharply and held her breath as tears flowed from her eyes and she fell to her knees. It was an arm; more specifically a forearm, it’s skin dirty and slightly rotted and stained with dried blood. “I-I’m sorry...” the captain began, crouching down to comfort the woman, “That’s all we could salvage...” For what seemed like an eternity the crowd and soldiers stood in silence, while the air was filled with the wailing cries of the grieving mother who held the severed arm close to her chest.

Jade gasped and brought a hand up to her mouth out of shock. She briefly glanced at Karkat, whose expression had not changed, however he now held his gaze upon the crying woman. Jade couldn’t help but feel a strong pity for this poor woman.

When the woman’s sobbing had subsided, she looked at the captain, disquiet, her eyes red and her cheeks stained with tears. “B-but... Brown... my son d-died a hero, didn’t he?” she asked, her voice rough as new tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. “He contributed, right? He died aiding mankind’s retaliation, didn’t he?”

The captain was at a loss for words. He opened and closed his mouth twice before finally blurting out, “Of course!” And that seemed to bring a faint smile to the woman’s face; relief, and with it very slight relaxation. she could go home, grieve a bit more and then plan a funeral without having to fret over the manner of her child’s death. He died a hero, and that brought with it some closure.

“No,” the Captain said, clutching his knees and looking away from the woman. She stared at him, confused. “The expedition... this time... again...” His voice was as quiet and broken, forcing everyone around him to listen closer, and coarse enough to give the correct impression that he was trying to hold back tears. Most of the crowd was still silent, now waiting for what the captain was going to say next. Even the other soldiers were curious, though they already knew what he was going to say - and it would have been a lie to say they weren’t afraid.

The captain’s hands flew up to the sides of his head, grabbing at his hair. He stared down at the ground as his eyes grew wide with anger and guilt and severe emotional turmoil. "It was all for naught! We didn't make any progress at all!" He exclaimed, his voice echoing the emotions in his eyes. Any and all remnants of the illusion the captain had attempted to conjure fell away with this, and with it fell the remaining tears in the woman’s eyes. "I've been nothing but incompetent!” Cried the captain, “Toying with the lives of my soldiers...! We couldn't even find out where they come from! We didn't discover _anything_!"

The people in the crowd talking again; whispers and murmurs of the horror. Jade turned away, she couldn’t watch anymore. Karkat looked away as well. “This is horrible... to think those soldiers could have lived peaceful lives if they’d stayed inside the walls,” said the a man standing in front of Karkat. Both children turned to him. “Our taxes could be better spent than on the army,” the man continued, a few people around him nodding in agreement. “As it is, out taxes essentially serve to fatten the Titans up by sending out our people like free meals-” The man was cut off abruptly when Karkat kicked him in the back of the head. The man stumbled forward as Jade grabbed Karkat by his shirt collar, pulled the boy off of the crates and began dragging him away. She wanted to get as far away from the man as possible as soon as possible. Faintly, she heard the man shouting at them as they fled.

Once they were far enough away, Jade dragged her brother into an alleyway and threw him under her arm and with all her might into the wall. Karkat hit it with a loud thud followed by a series of clattering noises as the kindling fell from his pack onto the ground. He fell to the ground and grabbed the back of his head, wincing at the pain. “Jade, what the fuck!” He shouted at her. It was more of a statement than a question.

Jade glared at him, the emotions in her eyes a mixture of anger and sadness, and he was taken aback. “Tell me you’ve changed your mind!” She yelled. Her brow was furrowed, her and arms at her sides, her fists clenched and she frowned; her posture emphasized her seriousness as well as held back the tears, brought on by her fear for Karkat’s life, that her eyes threatened to shed.

Karkat stared at her, his mouth open slightly. “What?” He asked, rubbing his head as he tried to stand up.

“Please! Tell me you’ve changed your mind about joining the Scouting Legion!” She yelled again, louder this time, as though raising her voice might influence his decision. She never changed her expression. “You can’t not have changed your mind after watching _that!_ ”

Karkat wasn’t looking at her anymore, he had turned his attention toward the firewood scattered across the ground. “...Help me pick these up,” he said quietly.

“Karkat _please!_ ” She screamed, “I’m worried about you! I’m scared!”

“Help me,” was his only response, sharper this time.

This almost made Jade cry; his utter refusal to acknowledge her pleas of fright and concern. However, she also wanted to punch him in the face for his equally utter refusal to acknowledge that joining the Scouting Legion would very likely get him killed. How could he still want to join after seeing how utterly defeated all those soldiers were? But despite her anger and fear she took a deep breath, unclenched her fists, and helped Karkat pick up the firewood.

After she had calmed down a bit, Jade got an idea, a surefire way to get Karkat to give up on his quest to join the military, or at the very least the Scouting Legion. And now, she couldn’t wait to get home.

 

*            *            *

 

The Vantas household was small for a family of three; not too small, but nonetheless they made it work despite its size. The house wasn’t that impressive to look at, either. One would expect the home of a medical doctor to be large and ornate, possibly a pristine white in colour, though this was almost disappointingly plain. It was almost entirely made of wood, with the exception of the stone foundation and the metal framework. The roof was slanted and shingled with two windows on either side protruding from the attic. The small area was barely tall enough for even Jade, who was four-and-a-half feet tall, to stand in. There was a single window on the front side of the building’s ground floor in which Mr. Vantas was clearly visible. He was probably singing, the children thought when they noticed his lips moving. Mr. Vantas didn’t know that they knew that he sung to himself when he thought no one was around to listen.

On the front porch, which was elevated about a foot-and-a-half off the ground on wooden stilts, there slept a dog with snow white fur; a rather big dog, at that. “It’s big enough to ride into battle,” Jade had once said. “Like a horse that could bite your throat out.” And it was still young and growing, according to the local veterinarian; though the boy refused to believe it. Karkat - and the neighbours, who referred to it as a “devil beast” - dreaded how large the canine would actually get.

Becquerel was the Vantas family pet who had accompanied Jade when she had come to live with the family. Since then Becquerel had become a guardian, growling at anyone who got close to her or who wasn’t a Vantas or friend of the Vantas family. He slept on her bed and ate the scraps she occasionally tossed down to him from the kitchen table. He was well behaved and always listened to commands from his masters. The only problem any of them had really ever had with Becquerel was that his Mr. Vantas was allergic to fur.

Becquerel awoke upon hearing his masters approach. He barked loudly as he jumped up and bounded toward Jade, who kneeled down and opened her arms wide.

“Bec!” She called to him, a grin spreading across her face. Bec came skidding to a halt in front of her, then lifted his front paws and placed them on her shoulders as he licked her face. “How have you been? Did you miss us?” she asked in a tone commonly reserved for infants while ruffling the fur on the back of his neck. Bec took a couple of steps away from Jade and sat down, whimpering.

“AW!” Jade cried as wrapped her arms around the dog’s neck, pulling him in for a tight hug. Bec immediately barked a happy answer and Jade giggled. “Good dog, best friend,” she said, planting a kiss on the dog’s neck.

Karkat tried to ignore Jade and Becquerel as he stealthily made his way to the porch. However, the canine was not about to let his other master return home without a proper greeting. Bec turned away from Jade and ran straight for Karkat. The dog ran around the boy and barked in his face, causing Karkat to stumble backward. He fell flat on his backside, groaning as he tried to get back up. But before he could, Bec put both front paws on Karkat’s legs and licked his master’s face.

“Get the fuck away from me!” Karkat yelled, pushing the dog away and grabbing his leg, which hurt a little due to the canine’s weight. Bec barked at him again, then made his way behind Karkat. He poked his muzzle into the pack and pulled out a stick of kindling, then ran back onto the porch.

“Hey! Give that back!”

“Oh, it’s just one stick. Let him have it!” Jade said, grabbing Karkat’s hand and pulled him onto his feet. Karkat’s only answer was a grumble.

As they walked onto the porch, a familiar creaking sound met their ears. The porch always creaked. Jade had insisted numerous times that they should do something about it, in case it should fall out from underneath them. But all she ever got out of Mr. Vantas was a half-hearted, “Sure, I’ll get to that.”

The front door had a similar creaking noise when opened, though it wasn’t a worrying creak like the porch had. In fact it acted as a sort of doorbell for the family, alerting everyone when one of them returned home. The door was unlocked. Mr. Vantas kept forgetting to lock it and Karkat had picked up the habit from him. Jade found it astonishing that they hadn’t been robbed yet. Though they might have been vandalized before she joined the family and they just refused to tell her out of embarrassment. Due the lack of poorly parodied showtunes resonating throughout the kitchen, the children concluded that Karkat’s father was not, in fact, signing. Which only begged the question: _who_ was he talking to?

“We’re home!” Karkat called out as he and Jade walked through the door.

“You’re _late!_ ” They were immediately met with a shout from Mr. Vantas, who was brandishing a sauce-drenched ladle at his son. Mr. Vantas towered over the children at a height of six-foot-four. His glare pierced them, his red eyes burning into the children so that Jade was startled. If Karkat had the same reaction, then either no one noticed it or he was just very good at hiding it by now. Red eyes were a Vantas family trademark mutation; both father and son had them.

“Where were you two?” Mr. Vantas asked, slamming the ladle down on the kitchen counter. He sounded furious and frightened and relieved all at once. “Do you have any idea how fucking worried I’ve b-”

“Language!” Jade barked at him.

Swearing was a common thing in the Vantas household, and Jade had made it her life’s mission to eradicate it from the place forever. Mr. Vantas stared at her for a moment before sighing and apologizing. Jade was quite pleased with the progress she had made with Karkat’s father, she now only had to stop him twice a day at most.

“We’re sorry, Mr. Vantas,” she said politely. She had been told by Mr. Vantas numerous times to address him by his first name. She never got into the habit, however, and he eventually stopped asking. “It’s a long story,” she continued, walking over to the bin of firewood in the corner closest to the door and unloading the kindling.

“Which we will talk about later,” Karkat asserted, repeating Jade’s action.

“Yes, we will,” Mr. Vantas responded in kind, giving Karkat a look that could have burned a dragon. “I suggest after dinner.”

There was a scratching noise at the door that was followed by a loud whimpering, obviously Becquerel wanting to come inside. Jade was quick to open the door. When she did Bec bolted into the room and placed himself between everyone else and the kitchen table. He bared his fangs as he growled a low, deep and menacing growl in the table’s direction, never taking his eyes off of it.

“Hey... Bec?” She asked, slowly walking toward and reaching to him. “What’s wrong?”

“That would be me.” Everyone turned to the opposite corner of the room and a chill ran down Jade and Karkat’s spines.

Sitting at the far corner of the table was an elderly man who wore a white suit over a bright green shirt and dark green bowtie. He had been so quiet and that corner of the room had been in just the right lighting that neither of the children had even noticed him. But unfortunately reality was not so kind, the man was really there and that only scared the children.

The elderly man went by the name Doc Scratch, a friend and occasional partner of Mr. Vantas. Neither Karkat nor Jade knew the doctor’s first name - even if he had a first name and they weren’t even sure if Mr. Vantas knew, considering he never addressed him as anything other than “Doc” or “Mr. Scratch”. For all either of them knew, Doc _was_ his first name.

He was neither a tall man or a short one, nor was he physically imposing. What made him so frightening to the children was a variety of things. His face; long with high cheekbones and a rounded chin. Skin so pale it could be mistaken for white, his gaze piercing with deep-set eyes that were almost as green as his shirt, and a smile so thin and so sharp it could cut glass; a look of knowing ever present, like he knew their darkest secrets and threatened to expose them to the world at a moment’s notice. The way he sat with his back straight, legs crossed right over left, fingers loosely intertwined; confident, proud, pretentious, conceited. The way he stood - almost always with at least one arm behind his back, like he was hiding something. His entire demeanor was one of elegance, charm, class, and superiority.

“Becquerel never has shared his fondness of your family with me.” Scratch continued. His voice was smooth and matter-of-fact and, as far as Karkat and Jade were concerned, more than a little hostile toward Bec.

“What in the taint-chafing fuck is _he_ doing here again?” Karkat asked less than gracefully, taking a step in the opposite direction. Scratch had been coming over more often as of late. Just last month the two doctors got into a heated argument - or as heated an argument one could have with one person who was practically screaming and another who never raised his voice.

“Language!” Jade barked, punctuated by a bark from Bec that was directed at Scratch rather than Karkat. Though she hated the man as much as Karkat did, she wasn’t about to let the boy so easily get away with swearing.

“Mr. Scratch came by to discuss work with me,” Mr. Vantas explained, glaring at his son, “and while I was waiting for _you two_ ,” the glare intensified and he shared it with Jade, “I decided to invite him to dinner.”

“Wow,” Karkat said to his father, his tone calmer than had been expected, “That is by far the worst idea that you have ever had in the history of ever.”

“And as kind as the offer was, Vantas,” Scratch said, speaking to Mr. Vantas but his gaze falling onto Karkat, “I have the impression that I’m not wanted.”

“No, you’re fucking not!”

“Language!”

“Karkat!”

Mr. Vantas kneeled down to Karkat and looked him in the eyes. “Look, if you get to invite John over for supper every other week then I get to invite Doctor Scratch over for supper once,” he told his son, putting a hand on his shoulder. “If you have a problem with that, then too bad.” He stood up again and faced the doctor. “You’re more than welcome to stay, Doc,” Mr. Vantas assured him.

“Thank you very much, Vantas,” Scratch replied, his smile growing slightly wider.

As Mr. Vantas finished preparing dinner and the children set the table, Scratch said, “Karkat, Ms. Harley.” He never addressed Jade by her first name and none of them were sure why. “If my frequent presence here has bothered either or both of you at all,” -- he knew it had -- “I do apologize, and offer the ‘comforting’ news that I will be out of the city for some time while I visit some patients in the inner walls.”

Karkat scoffed. “Good riddance.”

“Karkat!” His father said, almost threatening.

“I’m sorry!”

“Your apology is accepted, Karkat.”

“That wasn’t for you!”

“KARKAT!” Karkat’s father bellowed.

“Fine!” Karkat turned to Scratch and glared at him. “I'm sorry, Mr. Scratch.”

“Your apology is accepted, Karkat,” he replied, in the exact same tone and manner as before.

As the four of them sat down to eat, Mr. Vantas’s allergies began to kick in and he had to keep a box of tissues beside him. The food was good, a simple dish of vegetables and meat with a nice sauce for extra flavor. Becquerel sat beneath the table beside Jade’s chair, and every now and then the girl would drop a piece of food on the floor for him to eat. The children were mostly quiet while the two doctors, one slightly pissedly, held court on some anachronistic aspect of medical history. Near the end of the meal, Jade, rather timidly, spoke up.

“Mr. Vantas? Excuse me for interrupting... but...” her voice trailed off as she glanced at Karkat. A feeling of doubt flashing across her mind. Would this really work?

“Well? Spit it out, J _a **aACHOO**_ ,” Mr. Vantas encouraged, bringing his arm up to his nose to avoid sneezing on the food, then blowing his nose with a tissue.

Jade shook her head, escaping from the doubt. “Well...” she began, taking one last look at Karkat, who was just now realizing what she was going to say. “Karkat said he wanted to join the Scouting Legion!”

“WHAT?” Mr. Vantas exclaimed as he stood up abruptly, startling Bec who darted out from under the table to investigate what was going on. Even Scratch seemed surprised, or at least intrigued by the statement, but only stopped eating for that instant before continuing with the meal which everyone but the guest seemed to have forgotten.

“Goddamn it, Jade!” Karkat yelled at his sister, visibly upset, “I told you not to tell him!”

“NO! You said not to say anything about the crying! You said nothing about the Scouting Legion!”

“JADE!”

“KARKAT!” Mr. Vantas walked around the table, his guest forgotten along with the meal, and grabbed his son by the shoulders. “What are you thinking?” His voice was hoarse, his eyes wide with panic. “Do you have any idea how many people had died going outside of the walls?”

“Yes I do!” The boy’s answer was quick; thoughtless, even. He stared back at his father defiantly.

Mr. Vantas took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down. “Karkat, why do you want to go outside the walls?” He asked, visibly trying not to let the apprehension he felt get a hold of him. “What ever compelled you to want to do that?”

Karkat’s answer was, once again, quick. “I want to know what's out there!” He said as he stood up. It was a solid declaration of purpose and resolve, with resolution burning in his stare. It took his father somewhat aback. “I don't want to live my whole life inside the walls, not without knowing what I'm missing!” He pushed his father’s hands off his shoulders. “And what about all those people who died? They’ll have died in vain if _somebody_ doesn’t pick up where they left off!”

“Karkat, lo _o **aACHOO.**_ ” Up went Mr. Vantas’s arm as the other reached for another tissue.

“Well, that's my cue to leave,” Scratch said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. With his plate now clean he stood up and walked to the door, seemingly oblivious to the conversation taking place as he picked up a briefcase that he had placed behind the door. “The boat will be departing soon, so I had best be on my way. Thank you again, Vantas, for the lovely meal.”

“Wait, Doc! I’m sorry,” Mr. Vantas said, turning to face the doctor. “I know this is inappropriate, b _u **aACHOO!**_ ” Another tissue.

“Not to worry Vantas, I understand your concern for your boy’s safety and the sudden turn of events has done anything but force me away.” Scratch frowned, and that was strange to the others. Did any of them actually remember the last time they saw Scratch frown? “Unless, of course, you believe I am lying to spare your feeling. In which case I can assure you that I am not.” No, of course he wasn’t lying. Lying was as beneath him as the earth was beneath the sun and it was twice as offensive to accuse him of. Jade had once heard Scratch refer to people who had to lie to get what they wanted, as well as people who were easily lied to, as “suckers.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Mr. Vantas apologized. “But D _o **aACHOO,**_ I hate to ask this of you, but you’re a good negotiator! If you could maybe stay a minute longer to help me try to talk some sense into Karkat?”

“Hey!”

“On any other occasion I would be glad to, Vantas,” Scratch replied, his smile returning, “but it seems to me that your boy is on a quest - or will be, rather. And you and I both know that when somebody begins a quest, simply 'talking some sense into them' becomes impossible.” He opened the door and took a step outside, then stopped upon hearing a disappointed sigh from Mr. Vantas; almost as though he had been waiting for it. “But if you really want my advice,” he continued, “it would be to show him the basement.”

“What?” was Mr. Vantas only reply as he subconsciously gripped the key to the basement that he always kept around his neck.

“Really?” Karkat added, surprised. The basement of the household had been shrouded in mystery for Karkat’s whole life. He had never once been allowed to go beyond the door. Karkat had told Jade that he had once tried to go downstairs about a year before she joined their family. It had been the middle of the night and Mr. Vantas had left the door unlocked while he was down there, and the boy had opted to investigate upon hearing a loud crash. However, by the time he had opened the door, his father was already on the other side. “What the fuck do you think you’re _doing?_ ” His father had practically screamed at him, “I thought I told you _never to come down here!_ ” He had grabbed Karkat hard by the wrist and dragged him back to his room, slamming the door behind him. The mark that had been left on his wrist didn’t go away for a week and his father had spent those weeks trying to apologize. Mr. Vantas once attempted to explain why he had been so angry, though only ended up flipping over the dining room table in frustration. Whatever was in that basement clearly disturbed Karkat’s father as he freaked out everytime the subject was brought up. Seemingly, only Jade now noticed that Mr. Vantas’s reaction to the basement being brought up wasn’t anger, but fear. Mr. Vantas glanced down at Karkat with a look of horror, while Karkat looked up at his father with wonder and curiosity.

“What do you mean, Scratch?” Mr. Vantas asked the doctor.

“You know what I mean,” Scratch replied as he made his way out the door, “Farewell Vantas, Ms. Harley, Karkat.”

“G-goodbye Doc... have a safe trip...” Mr. Vantas’s voice trailed off as the door closed behind the doctor. There was an awkward silence afterward. Mr. Vantas staring off into space, Karkat staring up expectantly at his father, and Jade glancing back and forth between the two as Becquerel ran up to the closed door and barked angrily a few times before making his way to the girl’s side.

“Karkat,” Mr. Vantas said finally, “I forbid you from joining the Scouting Legion.”

“Huh?” Was all that the now visibly upset Karkat could manage.

Mr. Vantas raised his hands defensively, turning to face his son. “I am willing to compromise letting you join the military if you _promise_ to join either the Stationary Guard or the Military Police-”

“But why!” Karkat interrupted.

Mr. Vantas kneeled down to Karkat and looked him in the eyes. “I understand that you want to go outside the walls because you want to know what's out there,” he said firmly, ignoring Karkat’s question, “But I can _tell_ you what's out there: Titans and death and that’s it.”

“You don’t know that!”

“Yes, I do!”

Karkat stomped his foot in frustration, growling - more at the situation than at his father. “Are you at _least_ going to show me the basement?” he asked, throwing out his arms then letting them drop to his sides.

“No!” Mr. Vantas shouted, standing up again. “Fuck no! The basement _will_ remain locked, and you will _not_ join the Scouting Legion because only the foolish do that and I _know_ you are not foolish!”

Karkat made his way hastily for the door, throwing it open. “Fuck you!” he called back to his father, “As far as I'm concerned, people who buy their own safety at the price of living like cattle are a _hundred times_ more foolish!” He stepped outside and slammed the door behind him.

Mr. Vantas followed Karkat immediately after the door had closed, reopening it and stepping onto the front porch. Karkat had broken into a run down the street and Mr. Vantas raised his arm to reach for him, but brought it back down upon realizing the futility. He let out a deep sigh, which was followed by a sneeze, as he leaned on the porch railing.

Jade, who hesitantly followed Mr. Vantas outside, with Becquerel at her side, handed the man a tissue. He took it from her and wiped his nose. Jade was guilt-stricken; the anxiety that was the result of the argument nearly overwhelmed her. She fought back tears as she gave Bec a scratch behind his ears, which he responded to by sitting down and whimpering as he rubbed his face against her side. “I’m sorry...” she said timidly. If she only hadn’t mentioned it, this whole argument could have been avoided!

“Don’t be, Jade.” Mr. Vantas told her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention.” He turned to her. “Look, I'm pretty sure that I'm the last person he wants to see right now. So could you go find him for me?”

“Yes,” she said, rubbing her eyes under her glasses. She believed that was the least she could do to make up for her mistake. “Can I take Bec?” She asked.

“Oh, yes, please!” Mr. Vantas guffawed, then nodded. “My allergies have been pretty good today, but I don't think I want to risk it any longer!”

A smile flashed across her face for just the instant, a result of Mr. Vantas’s reaction. She hopped down the steps of the porch and clapped her hands as she called to Bec, who bounded after his master. “Should I bring him back right away?” She asked, genuinely curious.

“No,” Mr. Vantas replied, “Let him cool down for a bit. We won't get anywhere if he's still angry. But be back before dark!” Though that didn’t allow for a lot of time; only about an hour-and-a-half or so.

Jade nodded, and sprinted down the street in the direction Karkat went. She looked back at Mr. Vantas, who stood watching them go, untying his ponytail and running a hand through his hair as he did. She wondered what had been going through his head when Scratch mention showing Karkat the basement, but she put it out of her mind. Right now she had to focus on finding Karkat. She let Bec lead the run. He had always had an excellent sense of smell, even for a dog, another reason why he was referred to as a “devil beast” by the neighbours. She had simply told him to “find Karkat”, and he immediately picked up speed and changed direction. She had to strain herself to keep up.

Eventually she did find Karkat when Bec tackled the boy from behind and sat on him until Jade told him to get off. After a brief shouting match that could have shaken mountains, Karkat finally conceded. Jade then convinced Karkat they go for a quiet walk and maybe find John if he was still out.

 

*            *            *

 

“I’m sorry, okay?” John Egbert said, painfully, raising his hand defensively as he tried and failed to talk his way out of another punch to the gut, “In retrospect, it really was a stupid joke!”

The bespectacled boy with black hair had a firm philosophy that he unwaveringly stood by: if one could somehow make a hard truth funny, that would make it somewhat easier to deal with. This, of course, is an effortless feat for a skilled practical joker and cunning prankster. John, however, was neither of these things, but liked to think he was. It was because of this belief that he ended up in situations such as the one he was currently in more often than he would like, which is at all. Three boys from his neighbourhood who were around his age were holding him against a wall in a back alley and taking turns punching him. _One bad joke and suddenly I’m villian-of-the-week,_ he thought, recovering from the most recent punch.

“Damn right it was, heretic!” Shouted the lead boy, who was the one currently holding him against the wall and punching him. “Now are you gonna’ fight back or not?” He demanded as he hit John again - in the face this time.

John heard - and felt - his glasses breaking as the fist made contact with his face. “Why would I do that?” He said after letting out a groan of pain, “I told a bad joke and I'm apologizing, why does that mean I have to fight?”

This seemed to confused the boys, eliciting a “huh?” from one of them. John felt tempted to roll his eyes, but restrained himself.

“I mean, it wasn't even offensive,” he continued - probably not the wisest idea - trying to remain calm and matter-of-fact so as not to make his situation worse. “And if it was and I wanted to defend it, then I may be inclined to do so vocally. But why would I just immediately resort to violence?” They continued to stare at him. “...No, really, I'm actually asking. Why?”

“Uh...” muttered the lead boy, who glanced at his companions. He was really trying to think of a reasonable answer, John figured, which was probably why he was taking so long. Finally, the lead boy said, “Shut it, heretic!” and punched him in the face again.

“Hey!” came a voice from the other end of the alley, “Leave the idiot alone!”

John and the boys turned to the see who had spoken, and John at least was relieved to see Karkat sprinting down the alley toward them. The lead boy tossed John to the ground and cracked his knuckles, and the second and third boys followed suit.

“Oh God, it’s Karkat,” said the second boy, sounding rather fed up with the Vantas boy.

“What's that little shit want?” Asked the third.

As the three boys prepared to engage in the fight they knew was coming - Karkat’s first instinct was always to fight - the second boy peered a little closer, and upon realizing who was behind Karkat his expression of disinterest turned to one of terror.

“Oh shit! Jade’s with him!” he announced, already turning to run. The other boys, who were just now also noticing Jade, mirrored the second boy’s expression.

“And she’s got her devil beast with her!” the third boy added, following the other two.

“RUN!” Ordered the first, though it wasn’t needed. All three were already at the exit of the alleyway and turning the corner by the time Karkat and Jade had gotten to John.

Jade had unintentionally built a reputation for herself as the local bully. In reality she was a very sweet girl who only wanted to see her friends safe and happy, and just refused to put up with people’s bullshit - most of the time. However, the locals saw her as a mean girl who picked on the neighbourhood children for no reason other than to instigate terror. And while terror she certainly did instigate, she only ever did so to those children who had been bullying Karkat or John. She also had never ordered Becquerel to attack anyone, though she did feel it was nice to have him there as backup to her threats.

“HA!” Karkat exclaimed triumphantly, raising his fists as though he was about to start punching an imaginary opponent, “Look at those bastards run!”

“Language!” Jade barked at him.

Karkat ignored her. “The mere sight of me and they scurry away like fucking rats!” He continued; grinning, placing his fists on his hips and straightening his back.

“Language!” Jade barked at him again.

“Actually,” John added, turning to Karkat, “I think they were running from Jade and Bec.”

“You just had to ruin my moment, didn’t you, Egbert?” Karkat shot back at him, his posture deflating and his grin vanishing.

“Good to see you too, Karkat!” John told him cheerily, the grin that had been lost on Karkat’s face reappearing on his. Bec walked up to John and licked his face. John returned the sentiment by petting the dog’s head. He then turned to the girl and said, “Hi Jade!” with equal cheer.

Jade returned the greeting, “Hi John!”, only to realise he had been hurt. “Are you okay?” she exclaimed, bringing her hands up to her mouth.

“Yeah, I’m good,” he assured her, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulders.

“Are you sure? Do you need help getting up?” She reached down to him with both arms.

“Nope, it’s all cool. Thanks anyway,” he replied, standing up by using the wall as support. After righting himself, he took off his glasses and held them close to his face to examine the damage. The bridge was bent slightly inward and the entire right lense was cracked, as was part of the left. Grimacing, he put them back on; at least he could see partly through them.

“Oh no... your glasses are broken...” Jade observed.

“Meh, it’s okay,” he said, “I’ll just get new ones.”

Karkat gave his friend a look. “You say that like they're fucking inexpensive or somethi-”

“Language!”

 

*            *            *

 

The trio and Becquerel sat on the bank of the river that ran through Lopah, watching the light reflect across water as the sun finally began to disappear behind the wall; becoming a thin line across the top of the wall, which reminded Jade and Karkat that they would have to be home soon. Karkat listened intently to John’s explanation of the situation he and Jade had found him in when they entered the alley, though anyone else observing him would have said he was completely oblivious to the world around himself. The red eyed boy seemed to be off in a world of his own, completely oblivious to those around him. But his friends knew better, they knew Karkat was paying attention and would probably be able to recite back to John what he had said almost word for word.

“...Then I tried to make a joke about humanity needing to go outside the walls someday. Kind of,” John explained, looking comically serious. “I mean, I was serious. But I knew if I said it seriously they would hit me so I tried to play it off as a joke. you know, lighten the truth?” His look fell away as he slumped his shoulders. “But I don't think that went very well...”

“You think?” Karkat snapped suddenly, idly picking up a rock and tossing it into the river - or tired to; Bec leaped in front of him and caught the rock in mid air, but upon realizing it was too hard to bite into spat it out and shook his. “How come you get shitted on for just mentioning that you'd like to go outside?” he continued, ignoring the canine.

“Language!” Jade barked, grumbling for about another minute about how her brother never learned. “Isn't it obvious? For a hundred years humans have lived peacefully inside the walls. Everyone’s just afraid someone will screw up and let the Titans in. The royal government itself even declared that even so much as having an interest in the outside world is a taboo.”

“Well that's just flat out contradictory,” John added.

“The King is just chickening out!” Karkat stated. “That's all there really is to say on the matter.”

“You got that right,” John agreed.

“It’s our lives we’re risking,” Karkat said angrily, “It's none of their business!”

“You are wrong!” Jade shouted at him, taking John and Bec by surprise! “Stop saying that!”

Karkat, however, didn’t appear to have been that taken aback. “Which reminds me!” he stated while turning to Jade, changing the subject. “What in that shitty head of yours possessed you to rat me out to my dad? Is my misery that fucking hilarious to you?”

“Language!” She barked again, “And I told you! I said I wouldn't tell him you were crying! Not that you didn't want to join the Scouting Legion!”

“You were crying, Karkat?”

“Go on, Jade! Tell the city, why don't you!”

“So,” John asked Karkat, “How did it go?”

Karkat almost asked what he was talking about, then shook his head and looked away from his friend. It had gone _terribly_ , he thought. At first he hadn’t understood why his father had been so against it. Then, while he was walking with Jade and clearing his head, it had hit him that Mr. Vantas had only been concerned about Karkat’s personal safety. But still, that hardly excused outright denying him the possibility! Even Scratch - Doc _fucking_ Scratch - had said to go for it! And that, for some reason that he couldn’t quite explain, only made him more determined to see his goal through; he was going to join the Scouting Legion and was going to go outside! But... he couldn’t help feeling a strong sense of guilt. He felt bad for scaring his father and in hindsight he probably shouldn’t have flipped out - and neither should have Mr. Vantas! UGH! And now he had to go home and face him again! Overall, it was a shitty situation to be in, and so he explained it the best and simplest way that he could. “Well,” he began, “‘can't say it was exactly cheers and applause...”

“I can imagine that,” John replied, “to be honest I’m kind of with him.”

 _No, John, you can’t,_ Karkat thought, letting out a deep s- wait, what? _What_ was that last comment?

“No,” Karkat said firmly, “ _do not_ tell me you're just going to join in the chorus of shit-mongering haters and tell me to give up, too!” It was an order, not a question or a statement.

“Language!” Jade barked.

“What? No!” John said aghast and in unison with Jade’s bark. He reached an arm around Karkat’s shoulders and pulled him in for a hug. “C'mon Karkat, we're buddies! You know I wouldn't put you down like that. I totally get where you're coming from.” He let Karkat go as soon as the boy started to struggle and shout obscenities. “It’s just... I _am_ worried, too, you know? I mean, you don't actually know what could happen! It's like all those people who say the walls will protect us forever. They don't know what will happen, for all they know the Titan's could break in toda-”

**_KA-BOOM!!!_ **

The trio jumped as the ground shook and a deafening noise thundered through the air. They would have fallen over had they not already been sitting down. Becquerel went into defensive mode, baring his fangs as he began barking at the air. They looked around frantically, unsure of what to do in that momentary shock. Upon looking around they saw people coming out of their homes to investigate, and those who were on the streets looked toward the wall.

“What the fuck was that?” Karkat screamed, the pitch of his voice rising, scared, confused, and still a little stunned.

“It sounded like an explosion,” Jade answered, shaking a little, not having time to berate Karkat for his foul language.

Karkat could have swore he heard John muttering, “Why do I feel that was somehow my fault?” he paid it no mind as he was too focused on what _everyone_ was staring at: the thick pillar of smoke that was rising from behind the wall, just outside the outer gate -- probably what Bec had actually been barking at. The pillar -- that appeared to change colour when the light reflected off it; yellow, blue, two shades of red, purple, orange, green and black - loomed ominously over the city, accentuated by the setting sun. Of course, from his perspective, that was all he could see because the rest of the wall was hidden behind buildings. He felt the urge, the need, to get a closer look. So he stood up and ran for the main street, glanced behind him only for a second to call out to John and Jade who were already behind him with Becquerel in tow.

They were met along the way with a crowd of people and an eerie silence, the only audible sounds were shocked murmuring and cry of horror or two, and everyone was staring at Wall Derse. Karkat tugged on the sleeves of a few people to get their attention, asking what was going on. His two friends joined him.

“Why is there smoke?” Jade asked someone.

“What happened?” John asked another. When none of them received answers, Karkat tried a different approach.

“Hey!” he called out to whomever would listen as he pushed his way toward the street, “Could one of you asshats _please_ tell us what is going-”

The final word never left Karkat’s now agape mouth, hanging on the end of his tongue along with all the anger he had in him as he stared up at the wall. His heart skipped a beat and then pounded faster than before. He was petrified with horror by what he saw; it gripped him with terror and alarm he had never experienced before, and mercifully would never see again. What he saw was an omen; a sign of the end, or at least it’s beginning. Like all those in the crowd, he stood in silence. He didn’t have to look at John or Jade to know they felt the same.

He saw a massive hand gripping the top of the wall, it’s long green-skinned fingers wrapped around it’s surface and it’s claws - it had _claws!_ \- dug into it as though it was attempting to pull itself up. There was smoke rising from the hand as iridescent as the pillar beside it. There was no question about, it was a hand that belonged to a Titan. Not just any Titan - the tallest Titan ever recorded had been 15-metres in height - this Titan was massive!

“B-but... that's...” John was somehow able to stammer out, unable, like the rest of them, to avert his eyes from the giant, “The wall's like... 50 metres high!”

At the moment John stammered his observation a new shape began to emerge, a curved shape just as green as the claw and what appeared to be the source of the iridescent smoke. It was the huge, skull-like head of the colossal Titan, resting on broad, muscular shoulders. It truly was a colossal Titan, ranging at what had to be at least 60 metres for it’s head and shoulders to have easily appeared over the wall. It looked as though there was little-to-no skin on the giant’s body; the bones, muscle and visible skin was all the same emerald green. The only other colour visible on its form were it’s two red eyes - not unlike molten steel - that stared down at the humans, and a jagged red dot on each cheekbone. Its mouth was lined with large fangs, and there was a sunken hole where a nose might be. The two muscles where eyebrows would be were lowered, giving the Titan the appearance of scowling at its prey, all of whom were either running for the inner gate or too frozen with fear to move. The monster that towered over the wall, though, most likely was the least bit concerned with the terror of the insects beneath its feet.

From outside Wall Derse the colossal Titan gripped the wall, reared back its foot and brought it down with all the force it could muster upon the outer gate. Chunks of debris flew across the city, crashing into random buildings and killing a few of the citizens. The hole it’s clawed foot created was just large enough for a 15-metre Titan to walk through. And so they did slowly but steadily lumbered through the breach in the wall where, in the fallen city of Lopah, they would feast upon humanity once again.

On that day humanity received a grim reminder that they lived in fear of the Titans and were disgraced to live in those cages they called walls...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little something extra: an ongoing political battle between the Conservative and Reformist parties has been about whether or not the bury the doors that divide Humanity’s remaining territory and the Titan’s. The Conservatives state that the doors aren't solid enough - which is true, to those readers who were wondering - and so should be buried. While the the Reformists advocate that “abandoning the doors to the outside world is tantamount to renouncing the idea of a rehabilitated mankind.” Surprisingly enough, the Conservatives are winning in the polls.

**Author's Note:**

> Though I do hope you enjoyed it, I will be posting more regardless of whether you did or not.


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